Government Communications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government Communication Network.

Angela Eagle: The number of press officer posts in the Treasury and its agencies, OGD, OGCbs and DMO—remains constant at 13 full-time equivalents. All have access to the Government communication network.

Office of Government Commerce: Postal Services

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 713-15W, on departmental standards, what the scope was of the Gateway Review undertaken in 2005 on the OGC project Postal Services.

Angela Eagle: There were two OGC Gateway reviews undertaken on the Postal Services project in 2005:
	 Gateway Review 1—Business justification
	The scope of the OGC Gateway 1 Review was to confirm that the business case was robust—that in principle it met business need, was affordable, achievable; that appropriate options were explored and that it was likely to achieve value for money.
	 Gateway Review 2 — Delivery strategy
	The scope of the OGC Gateway 2 Review was to confirm the outline business case and to ensure that the procurement strategy was robust and appropriate.
	The full scope of each Gateway Review is set out in the OGC Gateway™ Process documents which can be found on the OGC website:
	www.ogc.gov.uk

Office of Government Commerce: Zanzibar

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 713-15W, on departmental standards, what the scope was of the Gateway Reviews undertaken in 2004 and 2006 on the OGC project Zanzibar (P).

Angela Eagle: There were three OGC Gateway reviews undertaken on the Zanzibar project in the period 2004 to 2006:
	 Gateway Review 2 — Delivery strategy
	The scope of the Gateway 2 Review was to confirm the outline Business Case and to ensure that the proposed Procurement Strategy was robust and appropriate.
	 Gateway Review 3—Investment Decision
	The scope of the Gateway 3 was to confirm the business case and benefits plan, and to check whether all the necessary statutory and procedural requirements were followed throughout the procurement process.
	 Gateway Review 4—Readiness for service
	The scope of the Gateway 4 was to confirm whether contractual arrangements were up to date, that necessary testing had been done to the client's satisfaction and that the client was ready to approve implementation.
	The full scope of each Gateway Review is set out in the OGC Gateway™ Process documents which can be found on the OGC website:
	www.ogc.gov.uk

Aviation: Royal Family

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was of feasibility studies and work carried out on the project to lease two aircraft for sole use by the Royal Family and Government Ministers which was cancelled on 27 March 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 26 June 2008
	The total cost of the technical, commercial and financial analysis carried out under the Royal and Ministerial Air Travel Project was £1.25 million. The work was carried out between February 2007 and March 2008, in accordance with government procurement policy guidelines.

Departmental Internet

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria his Department uses to decide what information uploaded to his Department's website should be included in the What's New section of the website.

Anne McGuire: The Department uses the following criteria to decide what information published on its website to include in the "What's new" section.
	Is it:
	a new policy publication?
	a new consultation?
	a consultation response?
	a new publicity campaign?
	a significant new addition to the website?
	The Department does not include every new addition to the website as this would make the "What's new" section too long and unusable.

Departmental Marketing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the design of the "our values" logo used in his Department's literature cost.

Anne McGuire: The DWP values comprise of four elements: "Achieving the Best", "Looking Outwards", "Making a Difference" and "Respecting People", which are the guiding principles for how we deliver our services to our customers and have been in use since 2001, on a variety of products that relate to business and personal development. The cost of the development of values icons was £10,782.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much timber and timber products were procured by the Government Equalities Office since its establishment; and at what cost.

Barbara Follett: None.

Air Force: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many part-time reserve air crew there are in  (a) the Royal Auxiliary Air Force,  (b) Air Experience Flights,  (c) University Air Squadron Institutions and  (d) the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table shows the breakdown by category and the total number of Part-Time Reserve Air Crew.
	
		
			  Branch  Number of part-time reserve air crew personnel 
			 Reserve Air Force(1) 46 
			 Air Experience Flights (AEF) and University Air Squadron Institutions (UAS)(2) 270 
			 Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch (RNR) 108 
			 Total 424 
			 (1) The Reserve Air Force comprises the RAF Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. (2) It is not possible to show separate figures for AEF and UAS.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Durham of 13 June 2008,  Official Report, column 556W, on armoured fighting vehicles, if he will break the £130 million expenditure down by year.

Bob Ainsworth: Expenditure on the Future Rapid Effects System since the launch of the assessment phase in 2004 is £127.993 million. This answer corrects the previous answer I gave on 13 June 2008,  Official Report, column 556W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones). The breakdown of this figure by year is as follows:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2004-05 6.930 
			 2005-06 48.748 
			 2006-07 45.317 
			 2007-08 26.998

Defence

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with defence sector  (a) manufacturers and  (b) interest groups in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: Defence Ministers have held the following meetings with defence sector manufacturers and interest groups specifically linked to defence sector manufacture over the period 7 May 2007 to 7 May 2008.
	 Secretary of State for Defence
	6 May 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Boeing
	2 August 2007 - Visit to Selex Sensors
	3 August 2007 - Visit to Rolls Royce
	16 August 2007 - Visit to Seebyte
	11 February 2008 - Visit to Babcock Marine
	15 February 2008 - Visit to Thales Optronics
	 Minister of State for the Armed Forces
	4 September 2007 - Visit to NP Aerospace
	 Minister of Defence Equipment and Support
	9 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
	16 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from CSEU Trades Union
	21 May 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Civil Service Trades Unions
	11 June 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Thales
	21 June 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Marshalls of Cambridge
	25 June 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Ultra Electronics
	2 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAe Systems
	12 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from EADS
	12 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin
	16 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAeS, Thales, Babcock, VT, Carrier Alliance and CSEU Trades Union
	23 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from GMB Union
	24 July 2007 - Meeting with a representative from MBDA
	24 July 2007 - Meeting with representatives from T&G Union
	4 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
	13 September 2007 - Meeting with representative from GDUK
	13 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Vector
	18 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
	18 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
	19 September 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Finmeccanica
	4 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
	18 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Qinetiq
	29 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
	29 October 2007 - Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin
	31 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from VT
	31 October 2007 - Meeting with a representative from CVF JV
	27 November 2007 - Meeting with representatives from BAe Systems
	28 November 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Thales
	28 November 2007 - Meeting with a representative from VT
	12 December 2007 - Meeting with representatives from the CSEU Trades Union
	13 December 2007 - Meeting with representatives from MBDA
	18 December 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Serco
	18 December 2007 - Meeting with a representative from Babcock
	23 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Lockheed Martin
	24 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from the CSEU Trades Union
	29 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Finmeccanica and Agusta Westland
	29 January 2008 - Meeting with a representative from GD UK
	29 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from CSEU Trades Union
	30 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Boeing
	30 January 2008 - Meeting with representatives from the West of England Aerospace Forum
	5 February 2008 - Meeting with representatives from Marshalls
	19 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Eurocopter
	26 February 2008 - Meeting with representatives from EADS
	26 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Finmeccanica
	27 February 2008 - Meeting with a representative from BAe Systems
	11 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Chemring
	13 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Agusta Westland
	18 March 2008 - Meeting with representatives from MBDA
	20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Joint Venture
	20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Thales
	20 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Rolls Royce
	25 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Qinetiq
	27 March 2008 - Meeting with a representative from EADS
	2 April 2008 - Meeting with a representative from Raytheon
	3 April 2008- Meeting with representatives from CCSU Trades Union
	 Under Secretary of State
	Nil return
	The Secretary of State has conducted visits to defence manufacturers in his capacities both as Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Defence. For completeness, all such visits are included.

Departmental Expert Groups

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expert groups his Department set up in each year since 1999.

Derek Twigg: Details of formal, standing bodies set up by Government to provide independent, expert advice to Departments and Ministers are published annually by the Cabinet Office. These bodies, known as advisory non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), are listed in the annual "Public Bodies" publication. "Public Bodies" also contains some details on short-term advisory groups and task forces. Copies of "Public Bodies" dating back to 1999 can be viewed and downloaded from:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp
	Copies are also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	The Ministry of Defence issues a "Supplementary Document MOD Non Departmental Public Bodies" which available on the MOD website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4C8D6BF808054 F469A638 CFC40660008/0/MOD_non_departmental_publicbodies.pdf.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft of each type are in the Royal Air Force.

Bob Ainsworth: The RAF management plan, for 2007-08 provides the numbers of aircraft planned to be in service with the RAF on 31 March 2009. The numbers are:
	
		
			  Aircraft type  Fleet number 
			 Typhoon(1) 55 
			 Tornado GR(2) 136 
			 Tornado F3 59 
			 Harrier(3) 77 
			 Nimrod MR2 15 
			 Nimrod R 3 
			 Nimrod MRA4(4) 1 
			 Tristar 9 
			 VC10(5) 16 
			 Sentry 7 
			 Sentinel 5 
			 Hercules K(6) 15 
			 Hercules J 24 
			 C-17(7) 5 
			 BAe 146 2 
			 BAe 125 6 
			 Sea King 25 
			 Dominie 9 
			 Hawk T1 107 
			 Hawk 128(8) 12 
			 Tucano 95 
			 Vigilant 64 
			 Viking 82 
			 (1 )Assessment of damage to one Typhoon which crashed in USA continues. If this is retained in the departmental fleet the total fleet will increase to 56. (2) Two fewer aircraft have been withdrawn from service than planned, therefore actual number of Tornado GR now planned to be in service is 138. (3) Does not reflect the loss of one Harrier on 16 June 2008, nor a further airframe which had previously been assessed as Cat 4 (damaged) during a 2005 ground incident and which has now been assessed as Cat 5 (beyond economic repair). (4) Due to slippage of the programme, no Nimrod MRA4 will be delivered in the current period. (5) Does not reflect that one aircraft will be retired in July 2008. (6) Does not reflect the loss of one aircraft on 23 August 2007. (7) Does not reflect that a sixth C-17 announced by Secretary of State on 26 July 2007 will be delivered in 2008. (8) Does not reflect that three additional aircraft are now to be delivered in year.

Members: Correspondence

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letters of 11, 19 and 25 February and 11 March from the hon. Member for Hereford on his constituent, Mrs. Jane Clegg (reference C442441) and her application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Under Cabinet Office guidelines, the chief executive of a Government agency may sign routine matters when directed by Ministers. In accordance with these guidelines a reply was sent by the chief executive of the UK Border Agency to your letters of 11, 19 and 25 February on 6 March and to your letter of 11 March on 8 April.

Police: Standards

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the levels of satisfaction with the police  (a) following responses to 999 calls and  (b) of victims of (i) violent crime, (ii) domestic burglary and (iii) theft in each police authority area in England in each year since 1997-98.

Tony McNulty: In recent years public confidence in the police has been increasing and currently 52 per cent. think they are doing a good or excellent job in their local area. Increasing public confidence in crime fighting agencies is vitally important if crime is to be tackled effectively and if the public is to feel safer—that is why it is a key aim of this Government and a key part of the new Public Service Agreements.
	Victims' satisfaction with the police has been improving over this period with small but significant improvements. Between 2004-05 and 2006-07 victims' satisfaction with the whole experience increased from 78.5 per cent. to 80.3 per cent.
	Satisfaction data has been collected by police forces from victims of burglary, road traffic collisions, vehicle crime, violent crime and racist incidents since 2004-05. Data has not been collected separately on thefts.
	Nationally, the overall satisfaction of victims of burglaries was 87.4 per cent. at the end of 2006-07, remaining stable since 2004-05. For victims of violent crime, overall satisfaction increased significantly in the same period to 74.5 per cent.
	Home Office assessments of this data have been included in the Police Performance Assessments published in 2005, 2006 and 2007. These assessments show data and assessments for each police force in England and Wales and are available on the Home Office police performance and measurement website.
	Data on satisfaction with the police following responses to 999 calls is not currently collected by the Home Office.

Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department on  (a) food and  (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years;
	(2)  from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the  (a) cost and  (b) quantity procured was in each case.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not have any in-house catering service. External caterers supply food and drink for meetings and receptions in London and Cardiff. Records are not kept in such a way as to show the amount paid for food separately. Catering for functions and meetings in London and Cardiff includes, where possible and consistent with value for money, a mixture of Fair Trade or locally sourced produce.

Departmental Buildings

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the allocation per person of office space is, in square metres, in  (a) each of his Department's offices and  (b) each office of its sponsored bodies.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) The allocation per person of office space at the Department's Cockspur street office is 13.7 square metres. This does not include Tottenham Court road which houses the Government Art Collection.
	 (b) The allocation per person of office space is only available for the six sponsored bodies as shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Allocation 
			  Arts Council England  
			 Greater Peter Street, London 11.6 
			 Pear Tree Court, London 8.9 
			 Central Square, Newcastle on Tyne 18.1 
			 Bond Street, Wakefield 30.5 
			 Senate Court, Exeter 16.4 
			 Granville Street, Birmingham 15.5 
			 Eden House, Cambridge 17.2 
			 Sovereign House, Brighton 16.6 
			 Manchester House, Manchester 15.7 
			 St. Nicholas Court, Nottingham 16.4 
			 Bond Street, Dewsbury 21.4 
			   
			  Big Lottery Fund  
			 Beaufort House, Exeter 18.1 
			 Pearl Assurance House, Nottingham 11.1 
			 St. James Gate, Newcastle on Tyne 15.1 
			 Carlton Tower, Leeds 22.2 
			 Newton Ladywell House, Newtown 19.8 
			 Cromac Quay, Belfast 14.2 
			 York House, Manchester 14.8 
			 Kengsway, Cardiff 20.1 
			 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow 15.1 
			 Elizabeth House, Cambridge 52.0 
			 Plough Place, London 11.4 
			 Apex House, Birmingham 18.9 
			   
			  Museums, Libraries and Archives Council  
			 Victoria House, London 10.6 
			 MLA East Midlands, Leicester 18.3 
			 Regent House, Bury St Edmunds 20.0 
			 MLA London, London 7.5 
			 House of Recovery, Newcastle on Tyne 15.5 
			 The Malt Building, Warrington 13.1 
			 Unit 8/15/31, Winchester 13.2 
			 Creech Castle, Taunton 23.0 
			 Grosvenor House, Birmingham 24.0 
			 Marshall Court, Leeds 17.4 
			   
			  Heritage Lottery Fund  
			 Carlton Tower, Leeds 19.2 
			 St. Nicholas Building, Newcastle on Tyne 18.4 
			 Holbein Place, London 12.6 
			 Trinity Court, Exeter 23.8 
			 King Street, Manchester 24.1 
			 St. Mary Street, Cardiff 19.5 
			 St. Nicholas Court, Nottingham 19.8 
			 Bank House, Birmingham 23.9 
			 Terrington House, Cambridge 24.2 
			 Third Floor, Belfast 18.0 
			 Thistle Street, Edinburgh 11.9 
			   
			  English Heritage  
			 Tanner Row, York 14.2 
			 Colmore Row, Birmingham 15.7 
			 Canada House, Manchester 20.7 
			 National Monuments Record Centre,  
			 Swindon 35.6 
			 Brooklands Ave, Cambridge 12.9 
			 Blandford Street, London 4.6 
			 Unit 5, Exeter 26.5 
			 Queen Square, Bristol 7.6 
			 Derngate, Northampton 18.1 
			 Eastgate Court, Guildford 12.0 
			 Isambard House, Swindon 22.5 
			 Bunhill Row, London 16.5 
			 Bessie Surtees House, Newcastle on Tyne 23.8 
			 Old Sailors Home, Bristol 16.9 
			 Wyndham House, Salisbury 49.7 
			 Waterhouse Square, London 15.5 
			   
			  Sport England  
			 Minerva House, Leeds 18.1 
			 Universal Sq, Manchester 15.6 
			 Durham 21.1 
			 Ashland House, Crewkerne 6.8 
			 Reading 19.7 
			 Victoria House, London 12.9 
			 Bedford 20.6 
			 Birmingham 12.3 
			 Nottingham 21.3

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what arrangements he requires the digital switchover help scheme contractor to have in place regarding disability equality impact assessments of decisions on the selection of Help Scheme equipment providers.

Andy Burnham: The choice of equipment is a matter for DSHS Ltd., the subsidiary set up by the BBC to administer the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.
	Under the Digital Switchover Help Scheme agreement between the DCMS and the BBC, any equipment offered under the scheme must in general be suitable for a disabled person to use. Where the default option offered to eligible households is a digital terrestrial set top box, the equipment must meet the core receiver requirements of the scheme. If the default option is not a digital terrestrial set top box, the equipment must meet the core receiver requirements of the scheme as far as possible.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether digital television equipment providing talking menus and a talking programme guide will be available to disabled persons in Wales via the digital switchover help scheme from 2009 onwards.

Andy Burnham: The equipment provided by the Digital Switchover Help Scheme so far has not included a talking Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).
	Recent trials of a talking Electronic Programme Guide developed by the Royal National Institute of the Blind appear promising, and will be kept under consideration by my department in relation to the scheme.

Office of Communications: Marketing

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how regularly Ofcom conducts public awareness campaigns regarding its regulatory role and powers; and what Ofcom's budget is for the next three years.

Andy Burnham: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games: China

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the UK is sending a pistol team to the Beijing Olympics; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Six shooters have been selected by the British Olympic Association to represent Team GB at the Beijing Olympics, one of which will be competing in the 10 m air pistol event.

Floods: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations Essex County Council has made to her on the Environment Agency's flood risk assessments and their effect on development in  (a) Canvey Island and  (b) Essex.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 June 2008,  Official Report, column 281W. We have received no further representations from Essex county council on the Environment Agency's flood risk assessments and their impact on development in Canvey Island and Essex.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of homeless applications to local authorities in each region in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. This includes data on the number of decisions on applications for housing assistance taken under the homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act. No estimate has been made of future homelessness applications.
	Data on decisions on applications between 1997-98 and 2007-08 is provided in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness. This is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 12 June 2008.

Housing: Local Government Finance

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1264W, on housing: local government finance, how much was  (a) transferred by local housing authorities into the Housing Revenue Account and  (b) redistributed to local housing authorities by the Housing Revenue Account in the last year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: holding answer 24 June 2008
	The total assumed housing revenue account subsidy surpluses for 2007-08 captured for redistribution in England were -615,402,131. Total assumed deficits for the same period were 670,123,974, requiring an Exchequer contribution of 54,721,843 to make up the shortfall.
	These figures are subject to audit.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on the repair costs borne by leaseholders as a consequence of the Decent Homes Initiative; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government have received representations on this subject from stakeholders including individual local authority leaseholders and hon. Members. Ministers have also met hon. Members who have expressed particular interest in this subject.
	The Government have reviewed the issues arising from high major works charges and announced its conclusions in a written statement to Parliament on 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 118WS; on the Parliament website at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070329/wmstext/70329m0001.htm #07032949000022
	This said that the Government would make it clear to local authorities that they should:
	inform and advise all leaseholders who face particularly large bills about the best available payment options, and work with lenders and independent financial advisers, landlords and leaseholder representatives to focus on the best ways of tackling these issues. Meetings on this have subsequently been held with a number of local authority and arms-length management organisation landlords
	use existing resources, such as for private sector renewal which they are already expected to target towards those in need and on low incomes, to assist leaseholders in hardship. The Greater London Authority has included help for leaseholders among the criteria for regional housing pot bids from London boroughs.
	In addition, more resources have been made available to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) so that it can encourage more dialogue between landlords and leaseholders on service charge and management issues and also encourage them to use its services to discuss issues, establish available options, and where necessary resolve disputed issues. The Government have also fulfilled their commitment to legislate by including in the Housing and Regeneration Bill, which is currently completing its passage through Parliament, powers for local authorities to offer interest-free equity loans and to buy equity shares in properties.

Housing: Standards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the average Standard Assessment Procedure rating of  (a) council housing,  (b) housing owned by registered social landlords,  (c) private rented housing and  (d) owner-occupied housing in (i) Birmingham, (ii) West Midlands and (iii) England.

Iain Wright: The following table provides the average energy efficiency ('SAP') rating in the West Midlands and England for each housing tenure, using estimates from the 2006 English House Condition Survey. The survey can not provide estimates for areas smaller than regions.
	
		
			  Energy  e fficiency (SAP) rating by housing tenure for West Midlands and England, 2006 
			  Tenure:  West Midlands  England 
			 Owner occupied 44 47 
			 Private rented 44 47 
			 Local authority 54 56 
			 Registered social landlord 59 59 
			 All sectors 47 49 
			  Note:  Estimates based on SAP 2005 methodology for energy efficiency rating.  Source:  English House Condition Survey

Party Walls Act 1996

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Party Walls Act 1996 to increase the efficiency with which its provisions can be enforced.

Iain Wright: There are no current plans to make legislative amendments to The Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Department is, however, currently revising The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 Explanatory Booklet to improve the guidance for professionals and building owners in this and other respects.

Temporary Accommodation: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have been placed in temporary accommodation in each London local authority area by another London local authority in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Data collected on temporary accommodation includes the number of households placed in temporary accommodation by each London local authority at the end of each quarter, and which of these were housed in a different local authority district. However, information on which local authority area these households were housed in is not held centrally.
	A table showing the number of households placed in temporary accommodation (TA) by each London local authority as at 31 March, and those of which were housed in another local authority district, has been provided today in answer to the hon. Member's question (214327).

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that payment under the replacement scheme for hill farm allowance are  (a) made to and  (b) retained by those who farm the land in question.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 30 June 2008
	As announced in the Secretary of State's written statement on 12 December 2006, we are minded to replace the hill farm allowance (HFA) with an uplands strand to the entry level stewardship scheme. Like other environmental stewardship schemes, payments would be targeted at land managers for the delivery of environmental and landscape benefits. This would require a five year commitment from the person who has management control of the land, in order to meet EU requirements and to achieve sustainable land management and value for money.

Animals: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the management of which  (a) endemic and  (b) exotic animal disease threats his Department has developed a specific strategy.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK Government strategy for enhancing veterinary surveillance was launched in 2003. As part of this, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, through its national network, investigates, diagnoses, analyses and reports on trends in endemic diseases of farmed animals and wildlife as well as new and emerging conditions.
	In accordance with EU legislation, a process is in place for sequential implementation of UK national salmonella control plans in the poultry and pig sectors.
	The 'Government strategic framework for the sustainable control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Great Britain' was published in 2005. Through this, the Government aim to work in partnership with interested organisations to bring about a sustainable improvement in control of bovine TB over the next 10 years.
	DEFRA's framework response plan and overview of emergency preparedness, which are reviewed annually, summarise the Government's arrangements for controlling outbreaks of various exotic animal diseases in England. They include an overarching strategy for dealing with a range of diseases, as well as plans for responding to specific diseases including Foot And Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza, Rabies And Bluetongue.
	There is a need to prioritise contingency planning work according to risk, and contingency arrangements are published on the DEFRA website, along with detailed information about a wide range of animal diseases.

Bees: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what reports he has received on seed treatment products in use in the UK which are suspected to have a negative impact on bee health; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to prohibiting the use of seed treatment products linked to beehive deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As a means of post-approval monitoring of any harm caused by pesticides, the UK Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) investigates incidents of death or damage to pets and wildlife (including honey and bumble bees) where there is evidence of an association with pesticide use. Data from the WIIS actually shows a reduction in recent years in the number of bee incidents directly attributable to the use of pesticides. The few that are reported tend to be linked to the misuse or abuse of certain pesticides rather than their approved use and these cases can result in enforcement action. Since May 2008, there have been four cases (two which are related) involving bees reported to the WIIS, and these are under investigation. There have not been any incidents reported to date which could be connected to the use of seed treatments. DEFRA will, of course, act immediately on any concrete evidence from incidents which occur in the UK.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of cattle herd tuberculosis breakdowns accounted for by cattle-to-cattle transmission.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is often very difficult to conclusively determine the precise cause of a TB breakdown in a cattle herd.
	However, in low bovine TB incidence areas, there is evidence that cattle to cattle transmission could be responsible for around 80 per cent. or more of cases. However, the situation is quite different in the high incidence areas of the country where 85-90 per cent. of all confirmed breakdowns occur. Some herds in these areas are also infected by purchased cattle, but wildlife is a major source of new herd infection and in many counties wildlife may be a more important source than cattle. It is impossible to put precise figures on these possible sources.

Departmental Sick Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much sick pay to staff in his Department cost in the last five years for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The total cost of sick pay for staff in DEFRA for the last four financial years is given in the following table. Data prior to April 2004, is available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   
			  Financial year  (April to March each year)  Total cost of sick pay 
			 2007-08 3,569,351 
			 2006-07 4,146,313 
			 2005-06 4,894,761 
			 2004-05 3,524,208 
		
	
	The data covers all staff in core-DEFRA and those executive agencies covered by the core Department's terms and conditions (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate (who merged with the HSE on 1 April 2008)).

Energy: Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his latest estimate is of the percentage change in domestic energy efficiency in each English local authority since 1999-2000; and if he will set out performance figures for each authority against their domestic energy reduction target.

Phil Woolas: The Government hold data on overall improvements in energy efficiency reported by energy conservation authorities in England for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 2007. The data on overall progress provided by authorities each year is placed in the Library of both Houses of Parliament and is published on the DEFRA web site.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the benefits of constituting the proposed Marine Management Organisation as  (a) a non-departmental public body and  (b) an executive agency.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine Bill consultation in 2006 set out the status options which were considered for the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), including Executive agency. Careful consideration was given to the most appropriate status for the MMO, and responses to that consultation were taken into account.
	Non departmental public body (NDPB) status was indicated by the Cabinet Office as the most appropriate given the functions that the new body is designed to deliver, together with the fact that those services will be delivered by the MMO on behalf of the Government and not just on behalf of DEFRA. This includes the role the MMO is intended to take on under the new marine planning regime set up under part two of the draft Marine Bill (which excludes policy making and adoption of marine plans). NDPB status will inspire confidence in other Government Departments and marine stakeholders that the MMO will act in an independent impartial manner.
	Creating the MMO as an Executive agency of DEFRA would not give confidence to other Government Departments or stakeholders that the body had the necessary independence from individual Ministers/policy areas to effectively carry out marine planning and licensing functions.

Whales: Japan

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 424-25W, on Japan, whether the Prime Minister presented Prime Minister Fukuda with the Government publication Protecting WhalesA Global Responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: For reasons given in my reply of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1296W, and of 28 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1874W, I do not think it appropriate to provide the information sought by the hon. Member.

Wood

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much timber and timber products were procured by his Department originating from independently verified legal and sustainable sources or from a licensed FLEGT partner in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on how much timber and timber products originated from independently verified legal and sustainable sources in each of the last five years could be provided only by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs at disproportionate cost.
	DEFRA has not procured any FLEGT licensed timber in the last five years as there is currently no FLEGT licensed timber on the market. The UK is working closely with the European Commission to support the negotiation of Voluntary Partnership Agreements with timber-producing countries, and the development of Legality Assurance Systems for the verification of legality of timber exports to the EU.
	DEFRA is committed to procuring legal and sustainable timber and leads on the timber procurement policy for central Government, which requires central Departments to actively seek to procure legal and sustainable timber. From April 2009, there will be a step change in policy and Departments will be required to procure legal and sustainable timber or timber licensed under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative.

Pre-school Education: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Tamworth constituency took up free nursery places in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in Tamworth parliamentary constituency area. Data is provided for 2007 only because parliamentary constituency data are not yet available for 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-oldsTamworth parliamentary constituency area 
			  Position at January 2007 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 4)  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 5)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 6)  Total four-year-olds 
			 2007 310 650 950 760 190 950 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (5) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	Table 2 provides information for 2008 about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for Staffordshire local authority area.
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-oldsStaffordshire local authority 
			  Position at January 2008 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 2008 2,900 (5)4,700 7,600 7,000 (6)1,600 8,500 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (6) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 12/2008 Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008, available on my Department's website:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/

Departmental Visits Abroad

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in his Department has been since 1997.

Edward Miliband: Since 1999 the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for the last financial year was published on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1112W. Details for the financial year 2007-08 will be published before the summer recess and will include details of overseas visits undertaken by all Ministers. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997-99 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Television: Licensing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Northern Ireland were  (a) fined and  (b) prosecuted for non-payment of television licence fees in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: In 2007, 5,901 people in Northern Ireland were prosecuted for non-payment of a television licence and, of these, 4,464 were fined. This data has been collated due to new IT arrangements that were not available for 2005 and 2006.

Depression: Medical Treatments

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many treatments for depression using the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved computerised cognitive behavioural therapy have been commissioned by primary care trusts since March 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what funding his Department provides for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved computerised cognitive behavioural therapy packages in primary care trusts; how much of this funding has been spent in the 2008-09 financial year; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of June 2008,  Official Report, column 604W, on psychiatry: standards, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of primary care trusts that provide National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)-approved computerised cognitive behavioural therapy at a level sufficient to meet the requirements set out in NICE guidelines.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
	National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its guidance Computerised cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety in February 2004. NICE will be consulting on review plans for this guidance in September 2008.
	Whether a patient has received computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) treatment would be recorded in individual patients' notes and by the various NHS, private and voluntary sector organisations providing such services.
	The Department's role is to set out a strategic framework and secure adequate funding for the NHS and adult care services. PCTs are responsible for providing local health services, including the provision of cCBT and together with their strategic health authorities are responsible for deciding which services to plan, commission and develop to meet the health needs of their local communities.

Elderly: Abuse

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to prevent elder abuse; what recent discussions he has had with the Commission for Social Care Inspection on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government regard abuse of vulnerable and older people as unacceptable in all its forms and are determined to root it out.
	We are addressing the issue in a variety of ways. We set out standards for care and treatment for the national health service and social care services via the national service frameworks for older people and mental health and the White Paper, Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability.
	We introduced regulations and national minimum standards for care homes, domiciliary care agencies and adult placements. These are intended to ensure vulnerable and older people can live in a safe environment, where their rights and dignity are respected, staff are properly trained and care is of the requisite quality.
	We have created independent regulators, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the Healthcare Commission, and given them the powers they need to take action against poorly performing providers or where abuse occurs. Ultimately, they have the power to close services down.
	We introduced the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) Scheme in July 2004, which requires staff who provide personal care to older people in their own homes or in care homes to be subject to statutory checks, including checks of their criminal record. The scheme, which operates as a workforce ban, prevents dangerous or unscrupulous people from gaining access to older and vulnerable people in care homes or being cared for in their own homes.
	We expect local authorities to play their part. No Secrets (copies of which are available in the Library), statutory guidance published by the Department of Health and the Home Office in 2000, provides a complete definition of abuse and a framework for councils to work with the police, the NHS and regulators to tackle abuse and prevent it from occurring. On 14 June 2007, I announced a review of the No Secrets guidance. The case for legislation to protect vulnerable adults will be considered as part of the review and there will be a public consultation later this year.
	On 14 June, I also announced plans to introduce a new monitoring system to report the extent of abuse across England. This will help address the current information gap on levels of reported abuse. As part of this, the Department will introduce a standardised method for the collection of data on protection of vulnerable adult referrals in England. The Information Centre for health and social care (IC) is leading the work to develop and collect data from councils. The IC anticipates that councils should be in a position to collect the data during 2008-09 and expect to have collected the data, analysed it and be in a position to disseminate the findings by the end of 2009.
	Local authorities (LAs) have been given specific responsibilities. Statutory guidance issued in May 2006 required them to ensure that Directors of Adult Social Services maintain a clear organisational and operational focus on safeguarding vulnerable adults and that relevant statutory requirements and other national standards are met, including POVA requirements. LAs must make sure the Director of Adult Social Services has the powers and resources necessary to encourage a culture of vigilance against the possibility of adult abuse.
	The Mental Capacity Act 2005, which came into force on 1 October 2007, introduces a new criminal offence of ill treatment or wilful neglect of a person who lacks capacity.
	The Department supports the work of the charity, Action on Elder Abuse (AEA). AEA has been awarded a three year section 64 grant, totalling 360,000. This grant covers the three year period from 2007 to 2009 and is to help fund central administrative costs.
	We are introducing a new centralised vetting and barring scheme for people working with children and vulnerable people. This scheme, as set out in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, will extend the coverage of the existing barring schemes and draw on wider sources of information to provide a more comprehensive and consistent measure of protection for vulnerable groups across a wide range of settings, including the whole of social care and the NHS. It will be proactive, with vetting taking place on an individual's first application to work with children or vulnerable adults.
	The scheme, which will be administered by the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), will make it far more difficult for abusers to gain access to some of the most vulnerable groups in society. It will start to receive applications from 12 October 2009. When used in conjunction with an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, the ISA scheme will provide employers with the most comprehensive vetting service on offer anywhere in the world.
	CSCI has ongoing discussions with the Department on the prevention of elder abuse. Recent meetings to discuss the issue have included:
	The Advisory Group for the review of No Secrets;
	The ISA Regulator's Sub Group, to advise on key issues for regulators in relation to establishing the new ISA and vetting and barring scheme; and
	The reference group to advise on establishing the national data collection by local councils.
	CSCI is represented on all of these groups.

Obesity: Children

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on levels of (i) childhood obesity and (ii) children's levels of exercise; and what benchmarking his Department has done of the results of such research against equivalent figures for other European countries.

Dawn Primarolo: The Information Centre for health and social care is commissioned by the Department to collect and evaluate data on the National Child Measurement programme (NCMP) and the Health Survey for England (HSE).
	The NCMP provides the most comprehensive data on obesity among children aged 4 to 5 and 10 to 11 years. The most recent available data can be found in National Child Measurement Programme: 2006-07 school year, headline results, which was published on 21 February 2008. Copies of this publication have already been placed in the Library.
	The HSE collects data on levels of obesity and physical activity in children aged 2 to 15. The most recent available data can be found in Health Survey for England 2006: Volume 2 Obesity and other risk factors in children, which was published on 31 January 2008. Copies of this publication have already been placed in the Library.
	Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a Cross Government Strategy for England, published on 23 January 2008 (copies of the Strategy have already been placed in the Library), committed the Government to establishing the National Obesity Observatory. In June 2008 it published National Child Measurement Programme: Detailed Analysis of the 2006-07 National Dataset, which highlights the usefulness of the NCMP for advancing our understanding of underweight, overweight and obesity in children. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Library.
	The Department has not benchmarked these figures on levels of obesity and physical activity in children against equivalent figures for other European countries. The Government Office of Science's Foresight project Tackling Obesities: Future Choices is a world-leading analysis of the causes and consequences of obesity, which includes an evidence review International Comparisons of Obesity Trends, Determinants and Responses, which compares levels of child obesity in England with figures for other European countries. Copies of this publication have been placed in the library.
	The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children: World Health Organization Collaborative Cross-National Study's latest report Inequalities in Young People's Health, presents a comparison of levels of physical activity by young people aged 11, 13, and 15 years in 41 countries and regions across Europe and North America, including England. It was published on 17 June 2008. The relevant section of this publication has been placed in the Library.

Obesity: Children

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects on levels of obesity on a regional basis; and what estimate he has made of obesity levels among children in London in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available in the exact format requested.
	Information on the percentage of adults aged 16 and over, and children aged 2 to 15 in England who are obese, broken down by Government office region and strategic health authority (SHA), are collected in the Health Survey for England.
	The most recent available data for adults can be found in Table 5.3, page 99, Health Survey for England 2006: Volume 1 Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in adults, which was published on 31 January 2008. Copies of this publication are available in the Library.
	The most recent available data for children can be found in Tables 2.3 and 2.11, pages 36 and 43, Health Survey for England 2006: Volume 2 Obesity and other risk factors in children, which was published on 31 January 2008. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Library.
	Information on the trends in obesity among children in the London Government office region for 1995-97, 1998-2000, 2001-2003, and 2004-06 can be found in Table 2.11, page 43, Health Survey for England 2006: Volume 2 Obesity and other risk factors in children.

Obesity: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were classified as clinically obese in Peterborough Primary Care Trust area and its predecessor bodies in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information on number of people classified as clinically obese in Peterborough Primary Care Trust, and its predecessors in each year since 1997, is not held centrally.

Papillomavirus

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specifications were included in the tendering process for the vaccine against human papillomavirus.

Dawn Primarolo: The specification set out in the procurement documents for the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) identified the following categories of requirements:
	Requirements described as 'mandatory' are compulsory requirements. Offerors must confirm in their offer that they are able to fully meet all mandatory requirements in order for such offer to be a fully compliant offer. Offers which do not meet all mandatory requirements may be rejected by the agency(1);
	Requirements described as 'non-mandatory' are desirable, but not compulsory requirements. The offeror's ability to meet the non-mandatory requirements will form part of the evaluation of the offer, but non-compliance with the non-mandatory requirements will not, of itself, render that offer non-compliant; and
	Requirements described as 'information' are requests for information or documentation. The quality and/or content of such information or documentation will form part of the evaluation of the offer. The required information must be included in an offer in order for that offer to be a fully complaint offer.
	The detailed requirements were:
	
		
			Requirement 
			  1.1.0Product   
			 1.1.1 HPV supplied as a suspension for injection in a pre-filled syringe. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.1.2 The vaccine must be licensed for use in the United Kingdom to protect against HPV strains 16 and 18. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.1.3 The vaccine must be indicated for the prevention of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN grades 2 and 3) and cervical cancer causally related to HPV types 16 and 18. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.1.4 The vaccine must be licensed for administration to girls aged 12 and older via a maximum of three doses. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.1.5 In addition to the protection against HPV strains 16 and 18 the Authority(2) will consider other aspects of product efficacy, to include Non-mandatory requirement 
			  additional licensed indications;  
			  cross protection against HPV strains other than those types covered in the licensed indications from pre and post licensing clinical trials;  
			  duration of protection for all licensed indications; and  
			  management of storage temperature excursions as supported by accelerated stability studies.  
			
			 1.1.6 Offerors are required to provide supporting information as part of their submission. Information requirement 
			 1.1.7 Offerors are requested to provide information in relation to variations to the dosage schedules for their vaccine. Information requirement 
			
			  1.2.0Presentation   
			 1.2.1 The vaccine must be supplied as a pre-filled syringe with needle for administration. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.2.2 The Authority has a preference for a single syringe pack presentation to reduce the potential for wastage during the Immunisation Programme. Non-mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.2.3 Offerors must provide details of the pack sizes available. Information requirement 
			
			  1.3.0Shelf life   
			 1.3.1 The licensed shelf life of the vaccine shall be at least three years Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.3.2 Shelf life of the product supplied should be equal to the maximum shelf life less the time used for release and shipment of the product to the Authority(2) and shall be no less than two years. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 1.3.3. Offerors must provide details of the anticipated shelf life of the vaccine to be supplied to the Authority(2). This must be supported by information on the production and final product release timelines, including the maximum time required for external quality assessment by the OMCL(3) if the expiry date of a vaccine batch is determined before this production stage in the vaccine Marketing Authorisation. Information requirement 
			
			  1.4.0Temperature indicators   
			 1.4.1 The Authority(2) has a preference for the inclusion in the vaccine packaging of a temperature indicator which would indicate if the vaccine had been exposed to a temperature above or below the storage requirements specified in the Marketing Authorisation. Non-mandatory requirement 
			  The purpose of this request is to reduce wastage where there has been a transient increase or reduction in temperature in storage and the supply as measured by the surrounding air temperature and the product temperature may have remained within the approved temperature range.  
			
			 1.4.2 This response should include, but is not limited to, information on the availability of such temperature indicators and the feasibility of providing these with the vaccine doses supplied during the life of this Agreement. Information requirement 
			
			  1.5.0Cold chain delivery requirements   
			 1.5.1 Offerors are requested to provide details of the method of distribution and temperature control systems that will be employed, including the records that will be provided to the Authority(2). Information requirement 
			
			  1.6.0Batch numbering system   
			 1.6.1 Offerors are requested to provide details of the structure of their batch numbering system for the vaccine. This information is being requested to allow the Authority(2) to incorporate an error checking system for the recording of batch numbering into the Child Health Monitoring computer systems. Information requirement 
			
			  2.1.0Delivery schedule   
			 2.1.1 Offerors must be able to deliver 820,000 doses during August and September 2008. The delivery profile for this requirement must comprise of no less than 50,000 doses delivered by 1 August 2008, 200,000 doses delivered by 15 August 2008, 115,000 doses delivered by 22 August, 255,000 doses delivered by the 5 September 2008 and 200,000 doses delivered by 19 September 2008. Offerors should note that no deliveries can be made before 1 July 2008. Mandatory requirement 
			  Offerors may vary the requirements laid out in 2.1.1, but only in so far that the Authority receives the quantities required before all of the dates stated in 2.1.1, though not prior to 1 July 2008.  
			
			 2.1.2 Offerors should include a proposed delivery schedule detailing how they would deliver the consignments necessary to complete the delivery of the first 820,000 doses to the Authority's(2) nominated distributor. Offerors should note that no deliveries can be made before 1 July 2008. Information requirement 
			
			 2.1.3 Offerors must be able to deliver the total number of doses of vaccine as identified in the delivery requirements. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.1.4 Offerors must be able to deliver the 'in year' totals that is 1,620,000 doses delivered in year 1 of the contract, 3,900,000 doses delivered in year 2 of the contract and 2,025,300 doses delivered in year 3 of the contract. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.1.5 For all deliveries after the first 820,000 doses, in addition to 2.1.1, 2.1.3 and 2.1.4, offerors must ensure the programme stock levels are maintained and therefore the proposed schedule is mandatory in that the Authority must receive the quantities required before all of the dates stated. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.1.6 Taking account of the mandatory requirements laid out in 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and 2.1.5, Offerors are encouraged to deliver in accordance with the delivery profile outlined. Offerors should note that the offers will be evaluated on how well the proposed delivery schedule matches (or in the case of the first 820,000 doses, exceed) the requirements. Non-mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.1.7 Offerors are required to provide their proposed delivery schedule. Information requirement 
			
			  2.2.0Pallets   
			 2.2.1 The Authority would prefer the Offeror to use. Europallets for the delivery to the Authority's distribution agent and for storage within the distribution agent's warehouse Non-mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.2.2 Offerors are required to provide details of their pallet packing configuration. Information requirement 
			
			  2.3.0Manufacturing contingency plans   
			 2.3.1 Offerors must be able to demonstrate to the Authority that they have an effective contingency plan for the maintenance of vaccine supply to cover manufacturing problems and staff shortages. This should include the use of alternative production facilities and safety stock provisions. Mandatory requirement 
			
			 2.3.2 Offerors are requested to provide a summary of the contingency plan. The Authority will use the information provided in this summary document to evaluate the supply risks in the tender evaluation. Offerors should provide a summary document and clearly state the file name/reference. Information requirement 
			
			  2.4.0Production Capacity   
			 2.4.1 Offerors are requested to provide the Authority with the following details which will also be used to assess the supply risks in the tender evaluation: Information requirement 
			  The average number of doses in a production batch of vaccine;  
			  The current and maximum production capacity in terms of finished vaccine dose per week or month;  
			  The current production demand in doses per month;  
			  The number of batches submitted for release by the OMCL(s) and the pass rate in the last 12 months; and  
			  The production cycle time.  
			
			 2.4.2 Offerors are requested to include any additional information to be taken into consideration in relation to production capacity. Information requirement 
			
			  2.5.0Risk management of storage and distribution   
			  Offerors must be able to demonstrate to the Authority that they have an effective risk management approach to storage and distribution of the vaccine. Offerors are required to provide a summary of their risk management plans to minimise loss of stock in relation to Information requirement 
			  storage arrangements prior to delivery to the Authority; and  
			  transportation of stock to the Authority's nominated distributor.  
			  Offerors should provide a summary document and clearly state the file name / reference summary.  
			
			  2.6.0Variant offers   
			  In addition to their core offer, offerors may wish to provide the Authority with a single variant offer that improves the clinical and/or cost effectiveness of the vaccination programme. The Authority is not considering any options for direct delivery of the product from supplier to the primary care trust or general practitioner under this procurement exercise. Any valid variant offers received will be subject to the same evaluation criteria as the core offer. Non-mandatory requirement 
			 (1) Any references in the specification to the agency refers to National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency. (2) Any reference in the specification to the authority refers to the Department of Health. (3) OMCL refers to the Official Medical Control Laboratory.

Pharmacy

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with officials from the Welsh Assembly Government on the ongoing Departmental review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures have been taken to inform relevant Welsh stakeholders about the Departmental review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has met the Secretary of State for Wales to discuss his Department's review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  which Welsh stakeholders have been contacted regarding the Departmental review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The review of the arrangements under part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services in primary care relates to England only.
	However, health officials in the Welsh Assembly have been made aware of the review and have been monitoring its progress.

Secure Psychiatric Units: Smoking

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government 
	(1)  have estimated how many mental health trusts made use of the support provided by the Tobacco Control Collaborative Centre to introduce the forthcoming smoking ban in psychiatric units; and whether the Government intend to review the effectiveness of this support once the ban comes into effect;
	(2)  what plans the Government have to measure the effect of the forthcoming smoking ban in in-patient psychiatric units on  (a) the physical health and  (b) the mental health of smokers being treated.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government commissioned the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre (TCCC) to provide support to mental health service providers in the lead up to the implementation of the smoke free legislation in residential mental health units on 1 July 2008. The TCCC initially met with mental health trust chief executives in the summer of 2007.
	The TCCC wrote to all foundation trusts, national health service trusts and independent providers asking about their smoke free policies and inviting individual trusts to request additional support, such as visits. The TCCC has also worked with regional stop smoking leads to organise local workshops to address implementation issues. This initial contact was followed up by sending mental health providers smoke free resources, accompanied by a further offer of support to trusts on an individual basis. To date 24 mental health service providers have been visited.
	The Government are not planning to do any specific research on the impact of the smoke free legislation on the physical or mental health of mental health service users, but is committed to review the impact of the smoke free law in its entirety within three years of implementation.

Smoking

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people aged  (a) under 16,  (b) 17 to 25,  (c) 26 to 45,  (d) 46 to 65 and  (e) 66 years or over who smoke on a regular basis, broken down by sex; what proportion of the total population of each age group these figures represent; and what the equivalent figures were in (i) 2003 and (ii) 1998.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available in the exact format requested.
	The latest information on the prevalence of smoking among adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain, by gender and age group, in 2006 is available from the General Household Survey 2006: Smoking and drinking among adults, 2006. This information is shown in the following table.
	Data on the prevalence of smoking among adults aged 16 and over in England, by gender and age group, for 1998, 2003 and 2005 are available in Statistics on Smoking: England, 2007, in table 2.2, on page 16. Data is given for those aged 16-19, 20-24, 25-34, 35-49, 50-59 and those aged 60 and over. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Library.
	Information on the proportion of children aged 11 to 15 in England, who were regular smokers, by gender, for 1998, 2003 and 2006 are available in Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2006 in table 2.1, on page 38. Equivalent estimates of the number of regular smokers in 2006 among those aged 11 to 15 can be found on page 156, section 5.3. Copies of this publication are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Table 1: Prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults( 1) , by age and gender, 2006( 2) , Great Britain 
			   All ages  16-19  20-24  25-34  35-49  50-59  60 and over 
			 All adults (Percentage) 22 20 31 30 25 22 12 
			 Men (Percentage) 23 20 33 33 26 23 13 
			 Women (Percentage) 21 20 29 26 25 22 12 
			 
			  Weighted bases (Thousand)
			 All adults 42,639 2,573 2,819 6,660 12,027 6,914 11,646 
			 Men 19,918 1,295 1,270 3,140 5,636 3,337 5,240 
			 Women 22,721 1,278 1,548 3,520 6,392 3,577 6,406 
			 
			  Unweighted bases
			 All adults 16,682 815 883 2,373 4,583 2,887 5,141 
			 Men 7,677 392 376 1,053 2,093 1,374 2,389 
			 Women 9,005 423 507 1,320 2,490 1,513 2,752 
			 (1) Aged 16 and over. (2) Results for 2006 include longitudinal data.  Source: General Household Survey 2006, Office for National Statistics.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcomes have been of the mission in Helmand province in the areas of  (a) drugs,  (b) reconstruction,  (c) winning hearts and minds and  (d) pacification.

Kim Howells: holding answer 2 July 2008
	The UK is providing coordinated military and civilian support to the Afghan government to improve security, governance and development opportunities on a district-by-district basis in Helmand.
	We are supporting Afghan counter narcotics institutions to deliver the National Drug Control Strategy, with an emphasis in Helmand where poppy cultivation is concentrated. Following Musa Qala's recapture in December 2007, the Afghan authorities closed down the major drugs bazaar, closed opium processing labs, and seized several tons of opium, denying resources and opportunities to drugs traders and insurgents. Operations continue in collaboration with increasingly capable Afghan counter narcotics forces. In 2008, 2,590 hectares of poppy were eradicated in Helmand. Where security, governance and economic opportunities are improving, such as Lashkar Gah, farmers are growing less opium than they have done in previous years. We are continuing to support Afghan efforts in licit livelihoods and infrastructure. Following last year's record harvest, the UN Office for Drugs and Crime estimates that opium cultivation in Helmand is stabilising.
	In Helmand 1,824 water supply and sanitation projects, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), have been completed; over $200,000 in micro-finance loans has been distributed to local community businesses with a repayment rate up to March 2008 of 100 per cent., 50 kilometres of main highway was constructed or resurfaced in 2007 in Helmand through DFID funding; and the legal economy is growing at above the national rate. UK aid towards development work in Helmand includes 9 million of funding for quick-impact projects in 2007-08; a 30 million three-year commitment until 2009 to support agriculture and rural development; and funding for UN Habitat to work in Lashkar Gah on improving municipal services.
	Security remains challenging, particularly in the South and East. Since June 2007, the number of direct attacks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan National Security Force has reduced by half, although the number of asymmetric, for example improvised explosive devices, attacks has increased. The town of Musa Qala, a symbolic Taleban stronghold only three years ago, is now under government control following an Afghan-led operation last December. A kandak (battalion) in the Afghan National Army covering Helmand has achieved Capability Milestone Onemeaning that it is judged (by internationally set standards) to be capable of planning and running operations independently. Improved security has increased commercial traffic across province lines and several private bus operators are now running regular passenger services between Helmand and Kandahar. We are working very closely with Governor Mangal to continue progress on security as well as reconstruction across the province.
	All of this visible reconstruction work combined with a strengthened local governance structure serves to improve public confidence. Across Afghanistan recent polls show the majority of Afghans continue to feel that their country is headed in the right direction. Support in Afghanistan also remains high for the presence of international forces, with national approval ratings in November 2007 of between 60 per cent. (Environics Research Group) and 67 per cent (BBC).

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The following data relates to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in each of the last five years:
	
		
			   Number of recipients of bonuses  Percentage of staff who received a bonus 
			 2007 5,070 89 
			 2006 5,097 83 
			 2005 5,094 83 
			 2004 (1)  
			 2003 5,085 87 
			 (1) Unavailable. 
		
	
	The largest single payments made in each year are:
	
		
			   Payment () 
			 2007 16,000 
			 2006 25,500 
			 2005 13,000 
			 2004 12,000 
			 2003 15,000 
		
	
	The FCO uses non-consolidated, non-pensionable, performance-related bonuses to encourage high performance. We pay annual bonuses to staff in the delegated grades (all except senior managers) based on appraisal evidence of annual performance. The highest individual bonus for these grades in 2007 was 1,850.
	Variable pay (bonus) arrangements for staff in the senior management structure/senior civil service (SMS/SCS) follow a framework set for Whitehall Departments by the Cabinet Office. We use variable pay for SMS/SCS staff to reward excellent individual performance and achievement during the year. Variable pay decisions are based on a judgment by pay committees of what an individual has achieved in comparison with peers. Those who have delivered the best results, and shown real leadership in doing so, receive the biggest bonuses. Those who have delivered least receive nothing. Whitehall Departments were authorised to spend a sum equivalent to 7.6 per cent. of their SMS pay budget on non-consolidated bonuses for senior staff in 2007. 25 per cent. of senior staff will not receive a bonus in 2008.

Africa: Food

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the likely availability of basic food stuffs in  (a) Ethiopia,  (b) Eritrea and  (c) Nigeria in the next three months; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Recent Government figures in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Nigeria have indicated an increase in food production in these three countries, which should lead to greater availability of basic foodstuffs, in particular cereal based products.
	Ethiopia has reported a 49 per cent. increase in food production over the last year. However, in spite of this apparently high domestic availability, prices have risen substantially and government food stocks are reported to be low. In response, it has reduced taxes on food grains and flour, provided subsidised wheat and oil to poor urban dwellers, and stated its intention to import 150,000mt of wheat for use as subsidised food. The minor Belg Harvest (end of June), which accounts for 10 per cent. of the country's total harvest, has been reported to be very poor this year and there is evidence of increasing malnutrition in some areas of the country.
	Both Eritrea and Nigeria have reported food production increases (22 per cent. and 10 per cent. respectively), but food prices are expected to remain high, with market supplies limited. Conditions in Nigeria have slightly improved with the onset of the 2008 main rainy season increasing the likelihood of a good harvest starting in September.
	No information is available on official steps being taken in Eritrea to address the food access problems. However, even with Eritrea's recorded increase in food production for 2007 taken into account, the country's food needs are approximately double the local production, making importation and consequent exposure to high international prices inevitable.
	The next three months will remain critical for many areas across these countries and across Africa as a whole. The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to monitor the situation closely and stands ready to respond where needs are evident.

International Monetary Fund: Managers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage the International Monetary Fund to establish a ministerial council.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have been formulating and building support for its agenda for the reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), following the successful conclusion of the Quota and Voice reform debate. The Chancellor set out the key principles of this agenda at the time of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary and Financial Committee in April, with the aim of building momentum towards a reformed institution that is sufficiently flexible to adapt to the global issues of the 21st century, and one that has a strengthened political process at its heart to lock in the commitment of its membership to multilateral cooperation. The Government recognise that activation of the IMF Council would represent a significant step towards a genuinely strengthened political process, and will continue to engage the IMF and other governments to secure this objective.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of distribution of humanitarian aid in Zimbabwe.

Douglas Alexander: On 4 June, the Government of Zimbabwe suspended the activities of all NGO's and private and voluntary organisations (PVOs). The UN can still operate but many of its programmes including much of its food aid are delivered through NGOs so distribution of relief has been seriously affected.
	The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that around 1.5 million people are being affected by the Government's suspension of NGO activity in Zimbabwe. If the suspension extends into July and beyond, this number will rise. The longer the suspension goes on, the more serious the impact on relief efforts. The World Food Programme's main feeding programme is due to scale up from August and should reach around four million people at the height of the hungry season in early 2009. Absence of large scale feeding programmes in the second half of the year could lead to high levels of malnutrition and increased mortality.

Post Office Network

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) if he will make a statement on the future of the post office network;

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the future of the post office network.

Patrick McFadden: With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to answer questions 13 and 19 together.
	The Government have committed a funding package of 1.7 billion to 2011 to modernise and reshape the post office network and to put it on a more stable and sustainable footing, providing national coverage of around 11,500 post office outlets underpinned by Government set access criteria.

Power Stations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the transfer to them of responsibility for power stations of capacity greater than 50 MW.

Malcolm Wicks: The latest discussions on this issue concluded some time ago, and the Planning White Paper made it clear that the UK Government does not agree with the Welsh Assembly Government case for changing the devolution settlement in this respect. However, I look forward to working closely with Welsh Ministers on how the new planning regime, to be established by the Planning Bill, can deliver Britain's vital major energy infrastructure to meet the energy challenges of the 21st century.

Vehicle Registration Plates

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport and manufacturers of vehicle registration plates on the integration into the design of plates of features which prevent theft.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been no discussions between my RHFs the Secretaries of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Transport, and the manufacturers of vehicle registration plates, on the integration of anti-theft features into the design of registration plates.
	In February 2006 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agencyin consultation with number plate manufacturers, the Home Office, the police and companies that test security productsadopted a voluntary standard for theft-resistant number plates. These are more difficult to detach, and cannot be fitted to another vehicle once detached. Theft-resistant number plates and products meeting the standard are currently available through around 300 retail outlets.